organization – Productivity Success Cake

From Scattered To Serene – How to change the habits of a lifetime

Some people are chronically disorganized. For them, life pretty much resembles the college dorm of years gone, except now, instead of laundry littering the floor, dirty plates and study books, it’s their kids’ “stuff”, work papers and, oh wait…the laundry is still there. Please know that “neat” does NOT equal “organized.” But there is definitely some cross-over.

There comes a time when disorganization will catch up with you. In business, that late payment because you lost the payment slip could have disastrous effects. That missed meeting could have been a great new contract, and in your personal life you might never get another chance to make those particular memories.

But, while a certain amount of disorganization can be kind of “cute”, if you live your entire life in this manner, you could be stifling any kind of growth, whether business or personal.

But, fear not! Here are my 3 top tips to reining the chaos in and being the paragon of serenity (at least some of the time, at least)

1. Get to the root of the problem.

Before you stock pile sticky notes and download a multitude of apps, you need to ask yourself, “Why?” Why are you disorganized? What has triggered this situation? It could be something from your childhood – perhaps your parents lived life in this manner, or it could be the influence of a partner, or ex-partner, years ago. Examinining the root cause of habitual behaviour that does not serve you is invaluable. For some, it may be that you procrastinate as a result of feeling overwhelmed. In some cases, when we feel like there are just too many options open, or too many tasks requiring our attention, it is easier to do nothing than it is to tackle them head on. Once you have understood your particular trigger, you can look at ways of “re-booting” that belief or behavior.

2. Surround yourself with organized people.

It’s so much harder to go against the grain when you surround yourself with super-organized types. Believe me, their habits will start to rub off on you! As you see them easily locate their credit card statement and you know you’d still be shuffling papers frantically searching for yours, so you begin to see how much easier life could be. These “neat ninjas” can also be a really great resource for you, too. Ask that co-worker for her tips on managing your emails or call in a favor and get help with sorting your closet.

3. Declutter to De-Stress.

Have you ever had to use brute force to close that closet drawer or to fit another coat hanger in? Do you really need to keep every single work of art Junior did in first grade? Be accountable for all your clutter and make a commitment to de-clutter every three months. Donate, destroy and recycle your way to a clutter-free environment. “I might need that one day” is not a good enough reason to keep something. Be ruthless – if it’s not there, it can’t clutter. Allow yourself one box of sentimental stuff – you’ll have fun deciding which items get to go in the box and you’ll know exactly where those precious memories are when you want to revisit them. Once you have cleared the decks, make sure everything left has a place and is kept in that place.

Finally, while it’s great to be organized, remember to be kind to yourself. This kind of change can be intimidating and just a little bit overwhelming. Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not perfect; cut yourself a break! Even a small change can be a positive move in the right direction and if you follow these tips, the new, organized version of yourself could be closer than you think.

In my next blog, we will be looking at further practical steps to get you that de-cluttered mindset. So, stay tuned!

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Let’s get you more focused, organized, and productive than you have EVER been!

Let’s see what might happen if you dare to just “read the blogs” to taking the steps to get you to where you want to go, but perhaps have not dared to…. until now.

I’ll be there! I can’t wait to meet you.

First, some questions:

Who’s in charge, anyway? Is it you, or is it life?
Are you a planner, or, are you a “go with the flow” kind of person? Why?

i) If you are a planner, what do you fear might happen without a plan? Why do things have to go “your” way? “So what” if they don’t?

ii) If you “go with the flow,” what scares you about making a plan? Is your plan too rigid? Do you fear disappointing others or perhaps not having enough room to be spontaneous?

The answer is … a little of both.

I know both kinds of people. I am definitely more in the Planner box. I love plans. I probably love plans more than is healthy for me. Why am I saying that? I’m saying that because over-planning can lead to over-scheduling. Over-scheduling can lead to stress and chaos, and ultimately, burnout. Burnout is not fun!

Conversely, there is that person who lives like he is blowing in the breeze. His ship sails wherever the wind blows, and he finds comfort there. But he looks back, and wonders what happened to his life. He’s not sure what is next, or even how to decide. He fears that he might make the wrong decision, so few decisions are made. His whole life, his desk, his home, his basement, etc., has too much stuff and is cluttered; representing such indecision.

Or maybe, you are somewhere in the middle. You decide something, go along the path for a bit, typically “full boar,” then get bored, when you then pick something new and exciting. Until, that is, this new thing gets old and then gets left behind for the next new thing. This cycle typically leads to a lot of investment with little return, and ultimately, frustration and burnout.

No matter which description fits best, we can all benefit from a little planning along with a healthy dose of accepting what life throws our way.

Let’s Kickstart 2018! I’ve developed some steps as food for thought on our Dec. 11, 2017 Lunchtime Love call.

Step One: Imagine it is December 2018. Write a letter to yourself about what you have accomplished. What fears have you overcome? What have you addressed that you have been putting off? How are you feeling and why?

Tip: Don’t overdo this exercise. Sometimes we tend to over-inflate what is possible and come up really short. This “overshooting” can be damaging to the psyche and is cause for the planning to cease. So, reach for the stars, with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Step Two: What is the most important thing, the thing that will provide the most impact, is the easiest to do, will not cost a lot of time or money, that you can do in the next week or so to move toward your December 2018 goal? That’s right, I am asking you to start NOW. Right now, in November/December 2107. You do NOT need to “wait” until January to lay the groundwork for your 2018 year-end success.

Tip: This can be really simple. For example, if you want to keep better track of your finances, and your desk is a pile of unopened mail, just take 15 minutes and sort the mail. You do not need to get it super tidy. Just put it into broad categories and piles. It’s a step. Steps provide momentum and momentum builds on itself.

Progress follows …